Lip Lift Side Effects and Scars

Lip lift scars can be white and visible. Hidef protocols can help with visible lip lift scars on the face. I see a lot of these in my office in Beverly Hills. Surgery is often not needed if lasers and HIDEF scar revision techniques are introduced. 
In our office, we combine treatments starting with topical pre-conditioning of the scars with Plato's Scar Serum for hypertrophy and Melarase PM for pigmentation. Fractional RF, laser, and micro fractional RF can help limit scar growth. Kenalog IIT can also help reduce scar thickness. For lip lift scars specifically, I use selective Hyfrecation to reduce scarring. 
Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

The incisions may have healed with a hypertrophic component, causing scar sensitivity, buildup, and tethering.  Even though your surgery was year ago, a steroid injection with a product called kenalog may help to soften the scars once more.  My experience also has shown it to be independantly effective in decreasing the sensitivity too.  Mke sure you follow up with your surgeon to aid in your recovery.

Lip Lift Scars generally go around the edges of the lips and are subject to motion and the stresses of "circular" scars that often heal with hardening and redness.  At this point, I would see your Plastic Surgeon, but most commonly steroid injections can be placed into the scars in a serious of treatments that both soften the hardness, make them feel more comfortable, and decrease the redness.  This would be my first approach.  Some mild massage and topical silicone gel(which is available in liquid form as in Strataderm) can help in the meantime.  If the redness persists, Fotofacial IPL treatments can help, with the last resort being re-excision of the scars with steroid injections placed at the time of scar removal.  Hope this helps.

The judicious use of steroid injection into the scar may improve the tightness and sensitivity.  This needs to be done gradually so not to get atrophy in the injected area.  If there is still erythema to the scar, a pulse-dye laser may have benefit.

Steroid injections may help to soften the scars. Also sometimes a revision procedure may help to excise the scarred area. You probably need to see your surgeon again. 

While I am not sure exactly what surgery was performed, I would suggest talking with your plastic surgeon about steroid injections. For scars which are still firm after an extended period, steroid injections can help to reduce the deep scarring.

My guess is that you have thick skin and are prone to a little thicker scar formation. The two options that I might consider include steroid injection to soften the scar and reduce the tight sensation. If this does not work then excising the scar and carefully approximating the wound followed several weeks later by steroid injection would be my alternative strategy.
Having stated the above your situation has been reported by other patients who have had the procedure you describe which is a "vermilion lip advancement" rather than a "subnasal lip lift"(which I have written about and presented at educational symposia). The incisions for the lip lift are actually right below the nose while the advancement procedure utilizes the incisions you described. I no longer do the vermilion advancement for the upper lip but have had great success combining the lower lip advancement with the subnasal lip lift! In fact some patients travel a great distance to have this combination which is required when there is too much distance between the nose and upper lip vermilion border.